This invention relates to a novel motion pinball game. More specifically, this invention relates to a pinball game where the pinball playing field and the player station undergo motion. The player station and pinball playing field are configured to be mountable to an electric motion platform that includes a control system coupled to a player motion control interface for controlling movement of the player station and pinball playing field.
Various versions of what is commonly understood to be a pinball game have been around for centuries. Three centuries ago, a ball and board game called xe2x80x9clabyrinthxe2x80x9d was created by the Egyptians. This game consists of a moveable board in which a player alters the orientation of the board in order to move a small ball around a maze formed on the board surface. Thus, labyrinth can be considered an active pinball game in that the playing field moves, but where the player is stationary.
A century or so later, a static pinball game, now known as xe2x80x9cPachinko,xe2x80x9d was developed. This pinball game consists of a vertically oriented stationary playing field having pins and slots. To play the game, a player releases a ball which travels from the top portion of the playing field, under the force of gravity, and bounces off of the multiple pins into various slots to score points. The ball""s final resting place is left to chance as the player has no control over the ball""s motion down the playing field.
In the 1940""s and 1950""s, a modern day pinball game emerged. This game consists of a rectangular, tilted playing field consisting of various bumpers, gates, and holes. A player releases a metal ball, usually steel, into the playing field via a spring loaded pin. The ball moves down the playing field under the force of gravity. Slight alteration of the ball""s path can be initiated by the player, who can bump or jostle the playing field""s housing. The ball eventually rests in a hole, and a point total is determined. In the late 1950""s or early 1960""s, flippers were developed to allow the player to alter the movement of the ball back up the playing field. Multiple variations of the playing field have been developed, although the basic concept has remained the same: the player and the playing field are stationary.
Accordingly, it is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a motion pinball game, where both the player and the pinball playing field are in motion, and where the player controls that motion.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a motion pinball game comprises a player station, a playing field, a motion control interface, and a motion platform. The player station and the playing field are coupled to the motion platform. The motion platform receives motion command signals from the motion control interface to move the player station and the playing field.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the motion platform comprises a base, a top, and a support member for supporting the top relative to the base. The motion platform also has a pair of positioning motor assemblies mounted to the base and an arm assembly extending between each of the positioning motor assemblies and the top of the platform. The arm assemblies are responsive to rotary motion of a respective one of the positioning motor assemblies and are adapted to rotate 360 degrees about the respective positioning motor assembly. The motion platform further includes a microcontroller electrically connected to the positioning motor assemblies for controlling rotational speed and rotational direction of the positioning motor assemblies and thus angular displacement of the top of the motion platform relative to the base. Motion control signals generated by the motion control interface are processed by the microcontroller. The motion platform has two degrees of freedom, pitch and roll.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.